Yellowjacket Tennis Closes PacWest with Wins (Apr. 23, 2005)

LAIE, HI – The Montana State-Billings tennis teams closed their PacWest Conference history with a pair of wins on Saturday.  The Yellowjacket men defeated Western New Mexico, 5-1, to claim third place.  The Lady Jackets downed Western New Mexico, 6-0, to take fifth place.  MSU Billings will move to the Heartland Conference next season.

The Yellowjacket men struggled throughout the regular season with a schedule heavy with Division I opponents.  For the first time in their history they won two of three matches at the PacWest Tournament to earn their best finish.  MSUB defeated Hawaii Pacific in the first round with their only loss coming to eventual champion BYU-Hawaii in the second round.

On Saturday the Yellowjackets jumped to a 2-1 lead with a pair of doubles wins.  Sergio Diaz and Paco Sanchez won their match, 8-3.  Sean O’Daniel and Brian Kasid won 8-4.  The Jackets closed the match with three straight-set singles victories.  Kellen Malone won at No. 4, 6-0, 6-0; O’Daniel won at No. 5, 6-0, 6-0; and Seth Maristuen won at No. 6, 6-0, 6-1.

The Lady Yellowjackets began their match with singles matches, winning all six to eliminate the need to play doubles.  Brianne Roney picked up the win at No. 1, 6-4, 6-1.  Becky Fry won at No. 2, 6-0, 6-3.  Margot Merrill-Johnson won at No. 3 in a marathon match, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.  Nikki Byrnes also went three sets at No. 4, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.  Heidi Lehman and Marta Borges closed the match with wins at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively.  Lehman won 6-2, 6-2; and Borges won 6-2, 6-2.

MSU Billings 5, Western New Mexico 1 (3rd & 4th)
Singles
 No. 1 Paco Sanchez, MSUB vs. Rafael Catay, WNMU 6-3, 1-3 DNC
 No. 2 Sergio Diaz, MSUB vs. Steve Patton, WNMU 6-3, 2-1 DNC
 No. 3 Ryan Smith, MSUB vs. Renato Varella, WNMU 1-6, 6-4 DNC
 No. 4 Kellen Malone, MSUB def. Billy Wilton, WNMU 6-0, 6-0
 No. 5 Sean O'Daniel, MSUB def. Lloyd Witlon, WNMU 6-0, 6-0
 No. 6 Seth Maristuen, MSUB def. Travis Holt, WNMU 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles
 No. 1 Patton/Catay, WNMU def. Malone/Smith, MSUB 8-3
 No. 2 Diaz/Sanchez, MSUB def. Jon Sklenar/Varella, WNMU 8-3
 No. 3 O'Daniel/Brian Kasid, MSUB def. B. Wilton/L. Wilton, WNMU 8-4

MSU Billings 6, Western New Mexico 0 (5th & 6th)
Singles
 No. 1 Brianne Roney, MSUB def. Karina Soares, WNM 6-4, 6-1
 No. 2 Becky Fry, MSUB def. Christina Kolb, WNM 6-0, 6-3
 No. 3 Margot Merrill-Johnson, MSUB def. Tereza Pilatova, WNM 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
 No. 4 Nikki Byrnes, MSUB def. Angel Vos, WNM 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
 No. 5 Heidi Lehman, MSUB def. Sarah Billings, WNM 6-1, 6-2
 No. 6 Marta Borges, MSUB def. Nadia Nunez, WNM 6-2, 6-2